Quantitative analysis of cabozantinib in pharmaceutical dosage forms using green RP-HPTLC and green NP-HPTLC methods: A comparative evaluation

In this study, a novel antitumor drug cabozantinib (CZN) was estimated by a validated green reversed-phase high-performance thin-layer chromatography (RP-HPTLC) and normal-phase high-performance thin-layer chromatography (NP-HPTLC) techniques in the marketed tablets and capsules. The RP-HPTLC densitometry analysis of CZN was carried out using “RP-18 silica gel 60 F254S HPTLC plates”. Green acetone/water (85:15, v v⁻¹) combination was applied as the mobile phase for a RP-HPTLC-densitometry. However, green NP-HPTLC analysis of CZN was conducted using “NP-18 silica gel 60 F254S HPTLC plates”. Green ethyl acetate/ethanol (97.5:2.5, v v⁻¹) combination was applied for a green NP-HPLTC-densitometry. The detection of CZN was performed at λ_max = 247 nm for both of the techniques. The RP-HPTLC technique showed high sensitivity for the quantification of CZN in comparison to NP-HPTLC-densitometry. For a green RP-HPTLC-densitometry, the CZN content of marketed tablets and capsules were found to be 101.17% and 98.77%, respectively. However, for a green NP-HPTLC-densitometry, the CZN content of the marketed tablets and capsules were found to be 96.12% and 94.25%, respectively. Accordingly, the green RP-HPTLC technique was identified better than a green NP-HPTLC technique. Hence, the RP-HPTLC-densitometry can be successfully used for the quantification of CZN in pharmaceutical dosage forms containing CZN as one of the constituents.